Is cactus water the new coconut water? Caliwater co-founder Vanessa Hudgens thinks so. And so do investors Demi Lovato, Benson Boone, and Glen Powell. But is it really?
I don’t think so. As far as I can tell, “cactus water” is really just prickly-pear-flavored actual water, while “coconut water” is the actual water within a coconut. That said, like coconut water, Caliwater Cactus Water boasts high electrolyte content and antioxidants—and, as they’ll tell you on the website, Caliwater is lower in sugar and more sustainably produced than many coconut waters.
Still. Cactus water is a very different beast. But marketing is marketing and I can’t blame them for trying to introduce their product to people by comparing it to a popular category. The real important question: Is Caliwater Cactus Water any good? I tasted five different flavors of it to find out. (Note: I based all of these reviews on the cans. Caliwater also comes in pouches, which it touts as being great to freeze or for kids.)